Sponsors

Rochester will host one of the hearings to be held by the U-S Coast
Guard as it seeks public comment on its proposed machine-gun firing
ranges for the Great Lakes -- including sections of Lake Ontario's New
York waters.

According to a statement from the Coast Guard's Great Lakes division, a public hearing will be held in Rochester on the evening of October 30th, at a location to be determined.The Coast Guard has proposed creating 34 live-fire ranges on the Great Lakes. The idea is to give its sailors a place to conduct training sessions using machine guns.

Three of the proposed safety zones are in Lake Ontario -- near Oswego, Rochester and Youngstown, in Niagara County.

Some boaters and charter operators have voiced concerns over the plan.

That has prompted the Coast Guard to extend the public comment period to the middle of November and add new locations for hearings.